Imagine that we are developing a software application to study the real-world impact of a rare disease on patients and caregivers. Our Product team is designing the app for participants to enter data about their experience of living with the rare disease by completing tailored questionnaires. The product is being co-created with pharma, patient advocacy groups, and key opinion leaders. Where does quality assurance (QA) come into the picture?
It is critical to make sure the app is free of any defects that could impact its function once it has been launched. The role of QA analysts is to test it in as many ways as possible, to detect any faults that need ironing out during the development process.
Vitaccess follows the âscrumâ Agile methodology, where the product development process is carried out in small chunks. This allows QA analysts to assess the product and flag issues as it is being developed, rather than at the end of one long development process. This approach minimizes the risk of ending up with a final product that is riddled with functional issues.
There are various types of tests that the QA analysts perform. Functionality testing checks the functionality of the app against the clientâs business requirements. Usability testing looks at how easy the apps are to use: for instance, how easily the user can navigate through the pages, see the headers, or press the buttons. Performance testing ensures that the app satisfies performance requirements, focusing on stability, speed, scalability, and responsiveness. These tests are carried out in a dedicated testing environment, either manually (i.e., a real person performs the tests step-by-step), or through automation (i.e., the tests are executed in an automation framework).
Why is this all so important? In the context of our real-world evidence studies, we need to ensure a positive experience for the patients and caregivers using our apps â on a fundamental level, this aids engagement and, in turn, the quantity and quality of the data captured. It is also essential to guarantee the security of our participantsâ information. Moreover, we want to secure a robust set of data for researchers, clinicians, or pharmaceutical companies.
Respecting the sensitivity of the data we are dealing with throughout the product lifecycle requires a stringent testing system for our apps. Our QA and Product teams are in-house, meaning that the cyclical process of development, testing, and refinement can be carried out quickly and efficiently.
To find out more about our digital real-world evidence studies or how we could help you, contact us here.
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By Fatemeh Amini & Asanga Korala
